Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Chasing Perfection

Looking back on 2011 there were many wonderful things to celebrate. But today is not the day. Today is the day to analyze short comings; evaluate things that weren't achieved in hopes of finding new insight.

Take for instance my failure to maintain a comfortable weight. On the surface the reason why is obvious...food intake is much greater than activity output. The underlying cause, not so easy to identify. Is it boredom? Stress? Laziness? Or just plain gluttony? I'll get back to you on that. A lot to digest (pun intended) before this one can be solved.

Now on to the item that really sticks in my craw. The big 2011 goose egg....Project 365. My attempt at taking and posting one picture each day... every day.... for one year. I started the project late in January with the best of intentions. By March I was struggling and in early April I sputtered to a standstill. Momentum was picked up by the end of the month and May and June were for the most part on target. In July I ground to a complete stop and the light went out. I waved the white flag and claimed the stress of blogging every day and posting a 365 photo was just too much. In reality what was too much was the chasing of perfection. The need to believe that every photo I post must be perfect. I lighten the reigns of perfection on the blog...some days the photos that work best are are more imperfect than not, and that's okay. But not on Project 365. Instead of a daily synoptic look at my life I turned it into a showcase for the best of the best of my best. In truth the best of the best occur randomly and rarely. In frustration I quit. Threw in the towel. Closed the door, turned out the light and walked away from my self-imposed challenge. It has bothered me since.

It is now a new year and you know what's coming don't you? I'm going to try again. It's a new day, a new project, new rules. I have vowed to squelch the need to chase perfection with what I hope is the greater need to finish what I start. Photos will be a snapshot of my day, not portfolio candidates. I invite you to join me. Cheer me on. Cross your fingers and say a prayer. Failure is not an option. Perfection is.

You can find Project 365: 2012 by clicking here. It will also be available as a link on the right side of the main page. Please, click on it often. If for no other reason than to make certain I stay focused and on track.

I may not be here every day but I will be there; and I can assure you, it won't be perfect.

3 comments:

Awesome you go girl. I always look forward to your musings and pictures.P.S. That is quite an accomplishment to beat B in scrabble. The points you girls scored was impressive. She has no pity on her Pop.